When using the first person, it’s important to understand that this character plays two roles: that of the storyteller and that of a player in the drama. These two roles jostle side by side as the narrative progresses.

Dialogue is the most dramatic expression of conflict in narrative. It isn’t simply an exchange of information. Each speaker must have an agenda, and that should emerge in the course of the dialogue sequence. Preferably, it emerges at once, or nearly so.